At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

But the Mi family has always been very eager to improve their social status, and has always been very eager to get rid of this embarrassing situation.

It was Tao Qian who gave the Mi family the first ray of hope.

After Tao Qian became the governor of Xuzhou, he parachuted into Xuzhou as an official from outsider and needed to win over local "people" to help him gain a firm foothold. The Mi family came into his sight, so Tao Qian summoned Mi Zhu to serve as the deputy driver. .

Mi Zhu was grateful for Tao Qian's kindness, and he followed Tao Qian's footsteps closely when Tao Qian governed Xuzhou, and made great contributions to Tao Qian's governance of Xuzhou.

Later, when Tao Qian handed over the Xuzhou pastoral position to Liu Bei after Tao Qian's death, Mi Zhu was also the one who faithfully carried out his wishes.

Of course, Mi Zhu obeyed Tao Qian's wishes not only out of gratitude for his kindness, but also because Liu Bei was willing to associate with him, did not discriminate against his humble background, and was willing to rely on Mi Zhu to gain a firm foothold in Xuzhou.

So Mi Zhu made friends with Liu Bei at all costs, gave money to women, soldiers, horses and supplies, gave everything he had to Liu Bei, and gave Liu Bei who was displaced and lost everything, so that Liu Bei was able to revive the army.

Liu Bei is not an ungrateful person.

So although Mi Zhu and Mi Fang's brothers had limited abilities, Mi Zhu got a higher status than Zhuge Liang after all, and Mi Fang also got the post of two thousand stones as the prefect of Nanjun.

From a local tyrant who was born as a merchant to the ruling class, the breakthrough progress of the social class has proved that Mi Zhu's investment is correct and his vision is long-term.

Of course, no one could have predicted what happened afterwards. Neither Liu Bei nor Mi Zhu expected that things would develop out of control.

Guo Peng knows what the Mi family needs and what the Mi family desires.

Mi's inferiority complex, Mi's lack of security, and Mi's almost deep-rooted pursuit of social status are all things that Guo Peng can use.

And all of this is what Guo Peng can give them with the right medicine.

Guo Peng now has such qualifications himself. He is the prefect of a county, two thousand stones, and the official of the founding government.

So Guo Peng gave Mi what they wanted.

The political resources that Guo Peng can use can be connected from the central to the local, and his reputation has also spread to Xuzhou.

Get in touch with Guo Peng and let Guo Peng become the backer of the Mi family, so whoever wants to touch the Mi family again has to consider Guo Peng, his backer and social relations.

The layer-by-layer relationship progresses layer by layer from the central government to the local government. If the Mi family can become a small part of it, the benefits will be unimaginable.

Among other things, the current business of selling cattle, sheep and horses can bring a lot of profit to the Mi family, and the Mi family has opened up a number of new customers and expanded the business level.

As long as Guo Peng is still in the north and holds power, this business can continue, and the Mi family will also receive Guo Peng's protection.

Originally, Mi Zhu thought this was enough, he was quite satisfied, and he didn't dare to ask for other things in a short time, but he didn't expect that a letter from Guo Peng would send him to the peak of happiness.

Guo Peng wants to formally call Mi Zhu as the prefect of Shanggu County to be an official.

Chapter 152 Er Guo Peng is bound to win against Mi Zhu

Guo Peng wants to call Mi Zhu to be an official.

To be the governor under his command, give him an official status, and he is still the private subordinate of the county prefect, the official position of managing finances for the prefect, a very close official position.

Guo Peng also said that this position does not delay his responsibility to run Mi's commercial business, and that this position is his reward for Mi Zhu.

Mi Zhu is still engaged in the same task as before, selling horses from south to north.

Mi Zhu was so happy that he couldn't contain himself, so he immediately told his brother Mi Fang about it, and Mi Fang was overjoyed and very happy.

The two brothers immediately told the matter to the core tribe, and the core tribe was overjoyed.

Then when Mi Zhu was about to leave for Youzhou to meet Guo Peng, Guo Peng sent a second letter telling Mi Zhu not to leave, but to come to Xuzhou to meet Mi Zhu in person, and then go home to visit relatives.

Mi Zhu was even happier.

He immediately ordered his family to prepare one of the most luxurious rooms for Guo Peng to live in, arranged for five beautiful young maids to serve Guo Peng, and then counted the days to see when Guo Peng would come.

On September [-]th, Guo Peng came to Xuzhou, and Mi Zhu took his younger brother Mi Fang and a group of members of the Mi clan to meet Guo Peng in person.

Guo Peng had one more Gu Yong beside him than when he set off from Youzhou, and there were two bookboys accompanying him.

Guo Peng originally wanted to take Gu Yong to Xuzhou, but Gu Yong was eager to prove his ability and make achievements, so Guo Peng sent someone to protect Gu Yong and let him go to Shanggu County first.

"Zizhong, you are too grand, didn't I tell you not to be so grand? I don't want to draw too much attention."

Guo Peng smiled and held Mi Zhu's hand, walking side by side with Mi Zhu.

Mi Zhu was flattered, and said humbly: "Mi's family background is humble, and Mr. Ming is not equal, so he entrusts important things to him. Mrs. Mi dare not not go all out to repay Mr. Ming's kindness."

"Hahaha, Zizhong is too modest. I have seen Zizhong's talent. Without Zizhong, how can I raise an army and resist Xianbei? Zizhong don't say such things again."

Guo Peng patted Mi Zhu on the shoulder, and got into the car that Mi Zhu had prepared for him.

If the subordinates do not accept the good intentions, the subordinates will feel sorry in their hearts, worry and panic, and some with paranoia of persecution will think of many terrible places.

Since it is what the subordinates are willing to do, and it is harmless, then accept it completely.

Under the current status gap, some things are taken for granted, and it would be strange if they were not done.

I followed the car to Qu County, which is very close to the port, and this is the base camp of the Mi family.

Mi Zhu personally drove Guo Peng to visit the Mi family's foundation and demonstrated the financial strength of the Mi family.

The tens of thousands of acres of fertile land around Qu County all belonged to the Mi family. The Mi family built manors on these lands, took in refugees, and established a manor economy.

Not only that, because of the proximity to the sea, the Mi family can also cook salt from seawater and sell table salt to make a profit.

Since Emperor Hanhe abolished the government-run policy of salt and iron, until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was the form of government tax collection for private salt and iron.

As a result, the Mi family became rich and established their own private economic zone in this coastal area.

Not only that, there are armed patrolling guards everywhere in Mi's manor, orderly.

The children of the Mi clan not only studied, but also practiced martial arts, riding and archery. They usually acted as military officers, leading armed troops to patrol the four directions to enhance their prestige and consolidate the Mi clan's territory.

After confirming these circumstances, Guo Peng confirmed that the Mi family has the nature of a great chaebol in a modern country, with land and land and private armed forces, and can even be regarded as a warlord.

However, unlike the situation in which modern capitalism prevails, although the Mi family has money and some have force, they do not have access to educational resources.

Without educational resources, the Mi family could not get involved in the gentry circle, and was still looked down upon by the upper class. No matter how rich they were, they were always excluded from the ruling class.

Unlike modern times, a chaebol is enough to control the regime of a country, and it can also make an actor who has never been in politics become the president.

Therefore, although the wealth of Guo Peng's family is far inferior to that of Mi's family, Mi Zhu treats Guo Peng with respect and humility.

After a tour, Guo Peng praised the pioneering efforts of Mi's ancestors and the hard work of the descendants, which made Mi Zhu very happy.

Then Mi Zhu took Guo Peng to the place where the Mi clan lived, and entered the core area of ​​Mi's manor.

Entering the core area of ​​Mi's Manor, Guo Peng finally saw what it meant to be rich.

If it is not surprising that the luxury and wealth of Emperor Han's palace is taken for granted, then Mi's manor is enough to surprise people.

For Guo Peng, who understands Mi's weakness, he is even more surprised. What kind of a ruthless person with great wisdom and courage is the ancestor of Mi's fortune?

With such a low social status, he has developed the Mi family into a big chaebol famous in several states, and has a lot of force.

And let those in power have to be wary, and choose to win over rather than directly plunder.

Perhaps the limit that a person of civilian origin can achieve under the political state of the Eastern Han Dynasty is what the Mi Zhu family looks like.

Of course, it needs the accumulation of three to four generations, and there can't be a bastard among them, and there can't be a waste who likes to enjoy themselves. They must be smarter and more skilled than ordinary gentry children.

Otherwise, how enviable is such a huge amount of wealth?

And Mi Zhu is also a person of great wisdom.

In troubled times, abandoning one's own prosperity, wealth, clothes and food, using all one's wealth to invest in a desperate little warlord, abandoning one's ancestral property, and following him through life and death for more than twenty years!

People say that it is easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. Mi Zhu did the opposite. If it is not limited by the times, maybe Mi Zhu may not be able to become the next Lu Buwei.

Mi Zhu is not a person with the ability to govern the country, run the army and go to war, but in terms of diplomacy and business, he is an extremely rare talent.

In the early days, Liu Bei did not have a fixed site, so he could not use Mi Zhu's strengths. When he had a site, Liu Bei had more talents under his command, and there was no room for Mi Zhu. It can be said that Mi Zhu was born at an untimely time.

But under Guo Peng's command, Guo Peng can let Mi Zhu maximize his ability and squeeze the wealth of the whole world for Guo Peng.

Therefore, Guo Peng is bound to win against Mi Zhu.

Entering the Mi family's luxurious residence, in the magnificent hall, the Mi family members met with Guo Peng and asked him to take a seat. Mi Zhu took the Mi family members and sat down by himself, and then served wine and dishes.

Guo Peng didn't refuse, and sat down generously.

"The Mi family's wealth, the government has seen it today. It was not easy for the ancestors of the Mi family. Under this situation, you can still accumulate such wealth and preserve it. Your life is not easy for the Mi family!"

What Guo Peng said just hit Mi's biggest pain point.

Without the backing of the ruling class, they have to use force and the spirit of not fearing death to preserve their own family business, and it is difficult to move forward in this society.

Mi's children were silent, but Mi Zhu and Mi Fang looked at each other, and they could see the joy in each other's eyes.

"If Minggong does not give up, the life after the Mi family will be much easier."

Mi Zhu raised his wine glass, together with Mi's children, toasted Guo Peng, and Guo Peng raised his glass in return.

Then, Mi Zhu called for singing and dancing again, and the senior singing and dancing troupe raised by the Mi family came on stage. The singers, dancers and piano girls dressed in tulle showed off their talents as usual, and a group of people had a feast.

Chapter 153

Mi Zhu secretly looked at Guo Peng while drinking.

He saw that Guo Peng didn't drink too much, he drank slowly, and he didn't look very interested in watching the singing and dancing. There was no desire in his eyes, but he was leisurely and content.

It seems that they are simply enjoying singing and dancing, and admiring the graceful figure.

The banquet dishes are very rich, not to mention big fish and meat, there is no shortage of all kinds of high-end ingredients. After the main meal, there are also fruits, which are cold and very comfortable to eat.

After drinking for three rounds, Guo Peng became interested, and ended up pulling Mi Zhu to dance together, which raised the atmosphere of the banquet.

During the banquet, many of Mi's children were drunk and were carried away, but Guo Peng was not drunk at all, and neither were Mi Zhu and Mi Fang.

After the banquet was over, it was getting late, Mi Zhu and Mi Fang personally took Guo Peng to rest in the room prepared for him.

On the way, Guo Peng explained to Mi Zhu what he was going to do in the future.

"You don't need to bother Zizhong too much. Although you are my young manor, what you have to do is still the same as now. You are mainly responsible for selling cattle, sheep and horses for me to make profits, and then transfer them back to Guo's Manor in Qiao County. In addition, you should pay more attention to your own family affairs, so as not to delay the family affairs."

Mi Zhu immediately said: "My younger brother Fang can take care of the family affairs on my behalf. Zhu will serve Minggong wholeheartedly and dare not make any mistakes or omissions."

Mi Fang also said immediately: "My lord, don't worry, family affairs are trivial matters, but your lord's affairs are the big ones, my brother can distinguish the important."

"Mi's treatment of me like this, how can I repay you?"

Guo Peng was moved all over his face: "Zizhong, if you treat me with sincerity, I will never fail you."

Mi Zhu's face was full of joy, and he promised repeatedly.

Afterwards, Mi Zhu called five beautiful women in tulle who were going to serve Guo Peng, and said that these five women were all beauties in their twenties and eight years, and asked them to serve Guo Peng to take a bath and go to bed.

When Guo Peng saw it, he smiled and said, "Could it be that Zizhong wants me to be unable to get up early in the morning?"

Mi Zhu immediately understood Guo Peng's teasing.

"Duke Ming has fought battles for a long time, with a body of a bear and a tiger, five girls are nothing, why can't he get up?"

An expression that only a man would understand.

"Hahahahaha!"

Guo Peng patted Mi Zhu on the back and laughed endlessly.

The body of a bear and a tiger is a compliment to him. Guo Peng has always paid attention to his figure. He has cultivated a very strong body bone under Lu Zhi's training since he was a child. He is full of muscles and tall.

But if you want to talk about the body of a bear and a tiger, there is really no one. At present, only Zhang Fei can barely be regarded as the body of a bear and tiger under Guo Peng's command.

Zhang Fei is really strong, a stocky kind of strong, and his strength is the best in the whole army.

Guo Peng once held a wrestling contest for the generals of the whole army. Cao Ren and Cao Hong combined were not as strong as Zhang Fei. Both of them were thrown away by Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei won No.1 without any suspense. .

For these five women, Guo Peng decided to accept them with a smile. If his subordinates did not accept them, it would be unattractive, so Guo Peng decisively accepted them and asked the five women to serve him in the bath.

The weather in September was still very hot, Guo Peng was sweating all over, took a good bath, changed into light and comfortable clothes, and then entered the room prepared for him by Mi Zhu and Mi Fang.

Well, probably the seven-star presidential suite of this era.

There are all the unexpected things that can be imagined, and what makes Guo Peng even more happy is that when he entered this room, he suddenly remembered the thing called "air conditioner" that had been forgotten for a long time.

The room was very cool, and Guo Peng even felt a little uncomfortable with the coolness. It took him a while to realize that he was not enjoying the air conditioner, but the ice cubes exuding a faint cool air.